Stockport Council has launched the One Stockport Construction Hub - a one-stop shop for skills, good jobs and training linked to the major regeneration pipeline underway across the town.
The Hub, launched on Wednesday, 28 January, has been designed to make sure our town’s once‑in‑a‑generation transformation delivers long‑term opportunities for everyone. From supporting young people into apprenticeships to helping local firms adopt new green technologies, the Hub will create secure pathways into the hundreds of construction roles generated each year.
Working in partnership with Trafford College Group, local Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations and contractors, the Hub will connect residents, educators and businesses with a clear, consistent route into the sector. As well as tackling national skills shortages, it will place inclusion at its heart by supporting underrepresented groups into high‑quality, secure jobs.
The Hub brings together four key areas of support:
- A brokerage service matching local people with employment and training opportunities created through Stockport’s ongoing regeneration.
- Construction traineeships and supported apprenticeships, helping those facing barriers to employment into good‑quality roles.
- Excellence in construction education, bringing contractors and college partners together to shape training for young people.
- Green technology and sustainability‑led growth, supporting local businesses to access low‑carbon construction opportunities and green technology.
Watch the Construction Hub launch video:
This coordinated approach will ensure that as Stockport continues to grow, we unlock talent, open doors, and ensure the incredible transformation happening across the town centre and beyond is one that everyone can be part of.
Building on success
The Hub has already delivered a series of successful pilots, including a construction traineeship supporting 14 young people from priority groups into training, qualifications and employment. Others include work to help local firms enter the Solar PV market, and a new monthly brokerage model linking contractors with potential candidates.
These outcomes are early examples of how regeneration isn’t only creating new homes, new jobs, and new places to spend time, but creating real and lasting benefits for local people across the borough, all part of our 15-year One Stockport, One Future plan to make Stockport the best place in the UK to live a happy, healthy life. We want to harness these opportunities to maximum effect, making regeneration investment the driver of sustained growth of good jobs and long-term career options for local people at scale.
Cllr Mark Roberts, Leader of Stockport Council
The launch of the One Stockport Construction Hub marks a major milestone in our nationally leading town centre regeneration programme.
For the first time, contractors have a single point of contact in the borough, and residents have a clear and inclusive route into the thousands of opportunities being created. It is ensuring the town’s construction boom delivers lasting benefits for Stockport’s people, communities and businesses.
Cllr Micheala Meikle, Stockport Council cabinet member for economy, regeneration and skills
Stockport has always been great at creating opportunities for young people, but with our ambitious regeneration plans, we know we can go further.
We’re harnessing the game‑changing building work happening on our doorstep, opening doors to young people who need that extra support to get to where they want to go, those facing barriers to employment and under‑represented groups. This isn’t just another skills hub; it is directly linked to funded schemes and investment with a direct entry point into the industry.
The Hub will revolutionise the way contractors connect with a local talent pool and access to education programmes, delivering a forward‑thinking, inclusive and meaningful approach to building Stockport’s bright future.
Supporting people into good jobs
A standout example of the Hub’s impact is JC, a 20‑year‑old with autism who recently secured a supported apprenticeship with contractor Rowlinson at the St Thomas’ Gardens Centre of Living Well scheme. After completing a traineeship through the Hub, JC is now thriving in his role.
Still in its early stages, we’ll update residents on how to get involved in available opportunities at the Hub when possible.